Where Alaska Airlines wants to fly from Paine Field

EVERETT -- Alaska Airlines wants to run flights to Honolulu, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and other West Coast destinations from Everett's Paine Field.The airline proposes to run 98 flights per week in and out of the Snohomish County-owned airport within five years, according to a proposal it has submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration.Included in those flights would be 42 commuter trips per week between Everett and Portland, Ore.It's a change from Alaska Airlines' original request in 2008 to run 140 Horizon Air commuter flights per week at the airport, primarily to Portland and Spokane.Allegiant Air also has asked to operate flights to Las Vegas from Paine Field and possibly other West Coast destinations.The FAA recently gave its go-ahead to flights at the airport. The cities of Mukilteo and Edmonds are challenging that decision in federal court.Snohomish County still must build a terminal at the airport to accommodate the flights, a process that with studies, design and construction would take more than a year, according to county officials.Last year, Alaska Airlines officials said they no longer wanted to fly from Paine Field, citing improvements at Sea-Tac Airport and Bellingham International Airport.Officials also said, however, that if another airline were to serve the airport, then Alaska would again be interested.Allegiant officials have remained interested throughout."The airline industry is extremely competitive, and we take all threats very seriously," Alaska spokesman Paul McElroy said. Alaska Airlines' proposed schedule in the first year of operations would include 14 weekly round-trip flights to Las Vegas, Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii, using Boeing 737-800 jet aircraft. Alaska would fly 21 weekly round-trip flights to Portland with Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft. Not all destinations would be served daily.By the fifth year of operations, Alaska would fly 49 weekly round-trip flights. This would include 28 round-trips to Las Vegas, Honolulu, Maui, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego with 737-800s, plus 21 weekly round-trips to Portland using Q400s.The original plan involved only the Q400 turboprops.Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.

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